Take Five
by Genis Aurion
Summary: Seeking normalcy in confined spaces. Because every protagonist needs a breather. NoeHopu drabble sets, both in romance and in friendship.
1. i :: v

**Title:** Take Five  
**Fandom:** Final Fantasy XIII-2  
**Subject:** Hope Estheim, Noel Kreiss  
**Summary:** Seeking normalcy in confined spaces. Because every protagonist needs a breather. NoeHopu drabble sets, both in romance and in friendship.  
**Additional Notes:** Each set/chapter will contain five drabbles to agree with the idiom "take five." Unless otherwise stated, each drabble should be treated as a standalone piece. Ratings for each drabble will vary from K to T, and while you may find allusions to sexual situations in several drabbles, encounters of that nature will not be written explicitly.

* * *

**i**

Hope makes the mistake of taking Noel to one of his board meetings. Actually, it isn't much of a mistake at all, and things would otherwise have gone without complication had Hope's proposal not been brought up. Scientists begin to throw their arguments at each other, because putting their hopes in the levitation of a new Cocoon is without worth if the power source cannot be obtained in the current era.

That isn't the problem, though, because Hope has come to expect quarrels over outlandish proposals. Nor is the problem Noel's interference, really, because Hope's gotten used to Noel throwing himself into conflicts in order to stand up for him, even though half the time he doesn't really think it's necessary. Actually, the only problem is each man's diction. In particular, when Noel starts reprimanding the scientists for 'not putting hope in Hope's hopes for a hopeful future for Cocoon,' Hope can't stop himself from throwing a thesaurus at him.

Noel not knowing how to use a thesaurus, however, is a whole other problem in its own.

* * *

**ii**

The more Noel is acquainted with Hope, the more he struggles to come to terms with Serah's relationship to Snow. Because come on, Snow's a reckless bastard who throws himself into battle and tries to get himself killed because he thinks he's a hero and can do anything despite putting his engagement with Serah on hold and leaving her behind like the hero he is and Hope agrees and shares his dislike for Snow's way of doing things and _why can't Serah see any of this?_

Of course, neither man has the heart to sway Serah from her way of thinking, because both men know not to cross paths with Meanie Miss Farron. So Noel comes up with a plan to distract Serah with meaningless stuff so he and Hope can talk about just how much of an idiot Snow is without her hearing them.

(Hope doesn't agree with Noel's manipulation of Mog, but Noel bribes him with a few stolen kisses, and the argument is lost.)

* * *

**iii**

Hope notices Noel's hands are calloused and worn from hunting. He likes them, because they reflect the sacrifices Noel makes in order to see his objectives to their completion. But he also finds it ironic, because Noel is characteristically gentle and warm toward those important to him.

Hope's hands pale in comparison, and he points this out to Noel. Noel tells him he likes Hope's soft hands, because they reflect the purity in Hope's decisions and reasons for fighting. This concerns Hope, because he knows Noel's hands were once the same as his. He asks Noel if his hands will ever become like Noel's; he doesn't mean to say Noel is impure, yet at the same time he is playing off of Noel's explanation, because he fears one day self-interest will influence him in making incorrect choices.

Noel says no, Hope's hands will never callous, because Noel's battle-worn hands will always be there to protect his. Hope doesn't miss the underlying implication, so he places his hope in Noel, because a man's hope is his castle, and Noel is his.

* * *

**iv**

Alyssa takes Serah shopping, and the concept is lost with Noel.

Hope tries to explain it's a girl thing, but Noel counters Yeul was never one to take interest in 'shopping.' Hope then tries to explain that it's an Academia thing, but Noel is quick to ask Hope why he didn't tag along, and Hope finds himself admitting that he doesn't like to shop either.

"It's like this," Hope tries, after several more failed explanations. "Shopping is like hunting. You go out, find the monster that looks most impressive but won't cost you your life, and then take it home. Just, instead of hunting for monsters they're out hunting for clothes, and instead of trying to save their lives they're trying to not break their wallets."

Hope is relieved that Noel claims to understand the analogy, but perhaps it's too soon a call. When Noel reaches into Hope's back pocket for his wallet and experimentally tries ripping it in half, Hope begins to have second thoughts.

* * *

**v**

There's a certain quality in silence, and Noel knows this. His only protest is that silence is unsettling, because it reminds him of his days alone at the end of the world. Silence with Serah is infrequent, as she often projected her thoughts verbally. But Hope tends to keep his thoughts to himself, and Noel has come to respect that.

Well, almost. Noel is restless by nature, and it tends to show. Hope berates him more than he thinks he should have to, because they are sitting in the Quiet Study Area of the Academy's library. _Childish horseplay has no place in the librar_y, Hope says; Noel counters with the reminder that he's at least being silent about it, to which Hope replies with _There's a time and place for everything_ and_ Save it for later_.

(And Noel does save it for later, after they _finally _leave the library. No one can explain why the elevator mysteriously vanishes between the 290th and 291st floors, but Hope doesn't talk about that. So by Hope's bidding Noel tells an inquisitive Serah it's the reincarnation of Academia's Forbidden History, but in private Noel teasingly reminds Hope of his mischievousness and loudness, and indeed does 'horseplay' have its time and place.)


	2. vi :: x

**vi**

"So let me get this straight," says Hope (he ignores Noel's snickers at his usage of _straight_). "You're telling me that, in the future, you and I are in a relationship?"

"Yep."

"And the future me is _okay _with this?"

"Yep."

"Noel _please_," hisses Serah, and she pulls him away from a confused Hope. "You shouldn't twist the past like this. What if it endangers your relationship with Hope in the future?"

"Let it go, Serah, I'm just teasing." Noel smiles innocently. "Besides, there're, what, three hundred something years between now and the future? Hope won't remember."

(But Hope does remember, though only when they close the Academia 4XX AF gate. Hope is apparently dating Alyssa, _somehow_, but Noel deals with it, because as soon as they reopen the gate Hope is rightfully his once more.)

* * *

**vii**

Sometimes Noel is glad to have found Alyssa in Augusta Tower and not Hope. Sure, he's known Alyssa longer, though only barely. (At least, with respect to his own consciousness, because Alyssa's known _him_ several years longer than Hope has.) But he has more attachment to Hope, if only because Serah has more attachment to Hope, and he's not sure how either of them would've reacted to an emotionless Hope recounting the death of the actual Hope.

Well, he does, because Hope dying is news either way, and the only reason he was able to cope was because the tower kept trying to have them killed (and because in the end Hope ended up alive).

In the end, Noel decides that this is one of the few deviations from the timeline he never wishes to revisit.

* * *

**viii**

Hope takes the term 'Home Field Advantage' to the extreme and regrets nothing.

He doesn't even know from which sport he's pulled the term out of context. As far as he's concerned, if Noel wants to have a long distance relationship with him (distance measuring both space and time), Noel's going to have to play on _his _terms.

Sure, Hope understands that Noel's out saving Cocoon from falling, or whatever. So is he. That Noel comes back not to visit Hope but to collect fragments _by answering quiz questions _puts him out just a bit.

So when Noel does return, Hope puts him to work: Hope sends him to the far corner of Academia to fetch an object that doesn't exist. Hope actually gets away with it twice, but not the third time. Perhaps Noel's finally familiarized himself with the court on which they're playing.

"I get it, Hope," says Noel after he refuses Hope's request. "Every woman between here and there would gladly ditch their husband to get a chance to be with you. I get it. I'll treat you better, I won't take you for granted."

"Good," Hope replies cheekily. "So, did you figure out how I hid my l'Cie Brand, yet?"

"No."

"How about Sazh's former occupation?"

"Dunno yet."

"Well, you'll be coming back then, won't you?"

"You're impossible, Hope."

* * *

**ix**

Noel thinks Hope is taking his work too seriously, so he tries cheering him up with an anecdote about a man he and Serah met in the Bresha Ruins. Noel claims the man was capable of making the best puns on people's name, but Hope seems disinterested. So, Noel decides to share some.

"Man, Hope Estheim-ing with enthusiasm, isn't he?"

(To which Hope points out that he's pronounced his surname wrong.)

"Estheim I fix my pronunciation issues, then?"

(To which Hope tells Noel "You're driving me Kreiss-y," and Noel thinks that Hope might just have a sense of humor after all.)

* * *

**x**

"So let me get this straight," says Hope (he ignores Noel's snickers at his usage of _straight_). "You're telling me that, in the future, you and I are in a relationship?"

"Yep."

"And the future me is _okay _with this?"

"Yep."

"Noel _please_," hisses Serah, and she pulls him away from a confused Hope. "You shouldn't twist the past like this. What if it endangers your relationship with Hope in the future?"

"Let it go, Serah, I'm just teasing." Noel smiles innocently. "Besides, this timeline gets erased, doesn't it? Hope won't remember."

(And Hope doesn't remember, and he welcomes Noel and Serah warmly upon their return to Academia. Noel pokes his tongue at Serah, Hope's is occupied with Noel, and Serah bites hers.)


End file.
